CALLING THE POT GOOD -- OR BAD

A Forum at CU Has Speakers on Both Sides of the Marijuana Issue.

Student organizers of the "420" pot-smokers' holiday at the University
of Colorado hope attendees don't just get high but also get smart.

Students backed by the National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws have lined up local and national speakers from both
sides of the issue, including liberals and conservatives, legalization
advocates and law-enforcement leaders for a forum that runs through
this evening.

"There never has been an intellectual public discourse on marijuana"
in the event's 16 years at CU, said Alex Douglas, a junior sociology
major and director of the school's chapter of NORML.

"Putting both sides of the issue on the table, the forum offers the
opportunity for students and the community to be engaged and educated
in all aspects of the marijuana issue," Doug las said.

The forum opened Saturday evening with Jessica Peck Corry, a
conservative pundit and executive director of the Colorado Civil
Rights Initiative.

The event continues today, starting at 11 a.m. with an opening message
from Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, and continuing at
noon with endocannabinoid specialist and University of Colorado at
Colorado Springs professor Robert Melamede and THC Foundation attorney
Scott Carr discussing the effects of marijuana on the human body.

Other speakers include:

Steve Bloom, founding editor of High Times magazine

Kevin Booth, producer and director of the documentary "American Drug
War"

Retired Lafayette Judge Lenny Frieling

Food and Drug Administration official Devin Koontz

Cmdr. Tom Sloan of the Boulder County Drug Task Force.

The forum culminates with hundreds of students and other pot users
toking up at 4:20 p.m. on Monday on CU's Norlin Quad in Boulder. The
smoke-in is not sanctioned by CU and, in fact, Chancellor Phil
DiStefano sent the entire student body an e-mail last week urging them
to "choose not to participate in unlawful activity that debases the
reputation of your university and degree."

A similar event will be held at the same time in Denver's Civic Center
park.

The national event is named after "420," the statute number in the
California legal code that bans marijuana possession.

In past years, CU has tried to thwart the event, writing tickets,
taking photographs and posting them online, even turning on
sprinklers. Denver police also have written citations but mostly
monitor the crowd for safety issues, police said last year.

Who's speaking when?

Find a schedule at normlcu.com